The Pines could be the Alan Wake-type game we’ve been waiting for

Every now and then, a game comes out of nowhere and surprises us all with its ambitions. And while they unfortunately often don’t live up to expectations, there are always chances that they’ll become the next best thing, and I have a strong feeling The Pines could just do that.

Announced seemingly at random, The Pines is a purported psychological horror RPG set in the eponymous town, where the protagonist is sent due to dealing with certain “issues” of his own. Over there, he meets various characters, from tinfoil hat-wearing conspiracy theorists to outright supernatural creatures, all the while uncovering and unraveling the mystery of The Pines, itself very reminiscent of Twin Peaks.

The game promises strong RPG elements, from dialogue choices to strong consequences for every decision, all the while placing you in a world that is way darker and stranger than it seems. Sound familiar? Well, Alan Wake sorta kinda did a similar thing, but The Pines seems different enough that it could be classified as a “Wake-type game.” I mean, you follow a dude in third person through dank forests while there is a mystery around him that “they” don’t want to tell him of, forcing him to experience the strange on his own, for better or worse.

What I was particularly struck by were the graphics. Sure, in this day and age you can easily find a game that looks rather spectacular considering Unreal Engine 5 and its capabilities, but the cutscenes are just so high-quality that I feel a gripping story just has to follow suit. The gameplay and combat seem a bit stiffer than I would like, but I’m willing to overlook that for an in-development project that is this ambitious. So long as the mystery is intriguing enough, I’m good, and from what I could gather, it very well could be.

I also got reminded of an old, small game called The Vanishing of Ethan Carter that I played as a kid. I don’t remember it too much, but the vibes of a forested area, a strong mystery where the protagonist has no idea what’s going on, and an overall sense of a looming presence all scratch the same itch as that indie did way back when. There’s potentially a huge game here, so long as the devs get it right.

And players over on social media are just as interested as I am, even if a bit skeptical of the ambition. Of course, comparisons to Alan Wake 2 dominate discussions, as that’s simply unavoidable, but that is also not a bad thing per se.

“[This] game looks like it’s heavily inspired by games I already love, so happy to check out more of this in the future,” one user said in a Reddit thread. “I love this vibe. I’m excited,” said another.

It’s being developed by Studio Abattoir, seemingly first-time developers, so it could end up being a Clair Obscur situation, though that one did have a lot of veterans working on it.

Either way, I’m excited, and I have a feeling many of you will be, too.

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Doubles battles in Pokémon Champions can be a true test to master, and more so if you’re new to the competitive scene. This is the official format of all championships, and you have to take on 2v2 battles. Naturally, you need to be far more strategic when it comes to team building.

This guide will help you figure out the very best Pokémon that you can use in the 2v2 battles.

Best Pokémon to use in Doubles battles in Champions

The table below has a list of the best Pokémon that you can use in Doubles.

Name	Type	Pros	Cons
Kingambit	Dark Steel	First, it’s available for free from several starter lineups. You can use Definat to benefit from moves that lower the opponent’s attack. Completely immune to two elements, with resistances for nine. Kowtow Cleave is a guaranteed hit, which is useful to get damage done.	Avoid matchups against Fighting as it has a 4x weakness. Low speed and Special Defense makes it a bad choice against those with high Special Attack.
Garchomp	Dragon Ground	Available for free from several starter lineups. Great stats that are perfect for a bulky attacker. Offers moves that do incredible AoE damage and hits mutiple enemies. Rough Skin is the perfect counter for Rough Skin.	Avoid matchups against Ice due to 4x weakness. Struggles against Pokémon with decent speeds.
Incineroar	Fire Dark	One of the most used Pokémon in the competitive scene, and for very good reason. Can control the match’s momentum due to bulk and speed. Has six resistances and one immunity. Trigger Intimidate to counter Physical attackers.	Needs a very good damage-dealing partner. Avoid matches with Defiant as it’s a direct counter.
Dragonite	Dragon Flying	Offered to all for free. Awesome Mega Evolution potential. Great attack and bulk in the non-mega form.	Avoid matchups against Ice due to 4x weakness. Don’t Mega Evolve if the opponent Pokémon can set the weather.
Torkoal	Fire	A very simple, but effective, Pokémon in doubles. Use Drought to set the sun, which sets it up for Eruption. Works well as a bulky support as well.	Poor matchup against Watertypoe moves. Poor against other Pokémon that can set the weather.

In Doubles, always focus on the roles of your Pokémon. You don’t need to do damage with both, but having complementary pairs will be necessary. You can also check this list to find the Pokémon that are considered universally best in the current meta.

You can also use Replica Codes to use teams created by pro players. If you’re someone who loves playing Singles, here’s our recommendation of the best choices.

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